Is a Battery Electric Vehicle(BEV) Greener than an Internal Combustion Vehicle(ICE)?

The weirdest question of the electrification age is – is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) really greener than my internal combustion engine (ICE)?  Well, of course it is, but you weren’t thinking of just the operation of the vehicle, were you?  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that; just follow an ICE vehicle closely, and you can breathe in why it is not greener!  To fully answer your question, we need to look at more than just the operation.  What did it take to manufacture the vehicle?  How green is the fuel I am using?  What will it take to scrap the car at the end of life?

I will answer each of these questions one at a time, and spoiler alert, we will be able to show how driving a BEV is 50% greener than driving an equivalent ICE vehicle.

Battery Electric Vehicle Manufacturing

Mostly, an electric vehicle will be very similar to the ICE equivalent.  The chassis, seats, glass, tires, etc., are all created using similar processes.  The difference is in what is missing in a BEV. A BEV does not need transmission, radiators, fuel injectors, gas tanks, valvetrains, or exhaust systems. You won’t need to get an oil change, and due to the use of regenerative braking, you won’t need to change your brakes as often.  A BEV has about 80% fewer parts than the ICE equivalent.  That means 80% fewer points of failure, lower replacement parts, and fewer toxic fluids to replace and dispose of.

However, one part that does take considerable effort to manufacture is the battery. It is chock full of minerals from third-world countries and questionable mining practices. This part alone pushes the total GHG well above the ICE equivalent. So, out of the gate, an EV takes 25-50% more than the ICE equivalent. Round 1 goes to the ICE vehicle; it currently takes less GHG to manufacture.

Ongoing operations

We should separate this into two categories: fuel and maintenance.  Fuel for an EV comes from your local utility.  Therefore, your fuel is as clean as that of your local utility.  If it is burning fossil fuels, then there are GHGs that are created to provide electricity to fuel your vehicle.  There are three big differences between gas and electricity usage for transportation.

1. According to green transportation, it takes 6 kWh to produce a gallon of gas, so it takes 6 kWh for 30 miles of range.  6 kWh will fuel a BEV for 20 miles.  Now, we get to add the GHG that is produced by burning gasoline.  EPA tells us that a single gallon of gas produces almost 9,000 grams of GHG or 20 pounds of carbon dioxide.  Once we complete all the calculations, a BEV produces 30% more GHG than the equivalent ICE for every mile driven.

2. What is the fuel mix for your local utility?  The example above is using the national average.  But as you know, some areas are 100% carbon-free production due to wind, solar, and hydropower capabilities.  In addition, most utilities have carbon-neutral goals.  OUC has a goal to be net zero by 2050.  That means as transportation and the grid become greener, we can further reduce the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Round 2 goes to the BEV with almost a knockout punch!  But wait there’s more!

What about end-of-life

There is good news. This product is early in its life cycle, and many improvements push the total GHG down. What I hold as a hopeful future is the recycling process for used batteries. 90% of the minerals are recyclable. When we get that figured out, unlike an ICE vehicle worth $250.00 crushed, we can manufacture new batteries from old.  The battery is one of the most expensive parts in the electric vehicle.

Better yet, batteries that can no longer hold sufficient range have a second life. I had a 2016 Leaf, and the battery, even though it has degraded (slightly 95 miles to 83 miles of range), it was still the equivalent of 3-4 power walls! If I could have harvested the battery and attached it to my home, I would have increased the value of my $4,000 leaf to as much as $30,000 in home backup battery.

Round 3 goes to the BEV!  We can make new BEVs from old!  Just try that with an ICE.

Summary

Looking at this visually, the chart below provides a side-by-side comparison; the International Energy Agency produces it. They measured the impact of an EV and ICE vehicle throughout the vehicle’s life. The blue base is the GHG for the vehicle manufacturer, the green is the GHG for the battery manufacturer, and the yellow and orange are the fuel-based GHG.  EVs produce less than ½ the emissions over the life of the vehicle. And, as the grid goes green, this only gets better. So, to answer your question, most assuredly, EVs are at least 50% greener than their ICE equivalent. Buy an EV; it’s good for you and the environment.